Housing Minister visits Y:Cube

Y:Cube a ‘superb project’ and could be solution to UK housing crisis, says Housing Minister. Brandon Lewis, Minister of State for Housing and Planning, visited the Y:Cube prototype outside YMCA Wimbledon on Thursday 2nd October.

He said:

‘Y:Cube Housing is a superb project. It presents an innovative, high quality yet low cost housing solution to assist the government in delivering its target of building more affordable housing using off-site manufacturing systems.’

First Y:Cube Housing in the UK

Construction of the first Y:Cube Housing scheme in the UK will start in November, providing 36 homes for local people in housing need. The scheme will be built on a brownfield site on the corner of Woodstock Way and Clay Avenue in Mitcham in the London Borough of Merton. Read more about the Y:Cube Housing proposal in Mitcham here.

As reported in Inside Housing last month, the Housing Minster, in a speech to the National Housing Federation’s annual conference in Birmingham on 17th September, urged housing associations to consider using off-site construction methods.

He said:

‘I want the whole housing industry to consider how they can use innovative construction. Off-site construction not only creates high quality affordable homes but it also delivers them quickly and that could be an important part of the challenge of delivering more homes.

When we bear in mind a traditional house can take 20 weeks to build and modern technology will allow it to take…generally three to four weeks, that will dramatically change the pace in he which we can provide the housing we need.’

Good news story

Y:Cube Housing, using a modular ‘plug and play’ design system by world renowned architects Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners, is an example of high quality factory built accommodation which is constructed faster, and crucially cheaper, than using traditional methods of construction.

Andy Redfearn, Director of Housing & Development of YMCA London South West, said:

‘We believe Y:Cube Housing provides a credible solution to delivering genuinely affordable, well designed aspirational accommodation for single people in housing need. This is a good news story which we wish to share with government departments, local authorities and housing providers so that Y:Cube schemes can be developed in every local authority area.’

YMCA London South West

YMCA enables people to develop their full potential in mind, body and spirit. Inspired by, and faithful to, our Christian values, we create supportive, inclusive and energising communities, where young people can truly belong, contribute and thrive.